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If your cleaning company is responsible for carpet spotting or overall carpet cleaning, you are eventually going to run across gum that is smashed into the carpet fibers. You may be cleaning up just a piece or two or if you are cleaning the carpet in a school or bowling alley, you may be removing gum every few feet. So is there a fast, easy way to remove these rubbery pieces of goo?

Begin by using a bone scraper and gently, but firmly scrape up as much of the gum as possible. This may remove the bulk of the gum, but don’t forget you still need to remove any sticky residue that remains. For any pieces remaining, use a product such as Unbelievable Goo D-solv-r Pro (from Core Products).

Spray the chemical on a white blotting cloth and then blot the gum - do not spray it directly on the gum or the carpet. Once you have removed the gum rinse thoroughly with hot water. This will remove any of the chemical that is left on the carpet and help to prevent it from resoiling. Some people have found that after using the bone scraper they can use a volatile dry solvent and hot water in their extraction machine to remove any remaining pieces of gum. The heat helps to soften the gum and remove any remaining residues. Or you can use a citrus gel, which is a non-volatile dry solvent. Just remember that you’ll need to rinse the citrus gel to remove any residue. No matter which process you decide to use, do not apply too much chemical.

Another way to remove gum is to “freeze” it. Fill a plastic bag with ice and rub it over the gum. Then chip away the frozen pieces with your bone scraper. After removing the pieces of gum you will still need to use your extractor to remove any remaining residue. There are also aerosol sprays on the market that will “freeze” the gum. Use these products with caution, as they can damage the carpet fibers. The process you use will naturally depend on how much gum you need to remove. If the area is heavily caked with gum it may be easier to use a bone scraper and then a good solvent with an extraction machine as opposed to the time it would take to either “freeze” or clean each spot with D-solv-r Pro.

As you are cleaning up the gooey mess from gum, remember to do a thorough job and remove as much of the residue as possible or the carpet will resoil quickly and you may be called back by an unhappy customer who notices the carpet looks dirty!

Steve Hanson is co-founding member of The Janitorial Store (TM), an online community that offers weekly tips, articles, downloads, discussion forums, and more for anyone who would like to learn how to start a cleaning business. Visit The Janitorial Store’s blog and get inspired by reading cleaning success stories from owners of cleaning companies.

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The dry foam procedure is called dry because the content of moisture is very low - 90 percent air and 10 percent liquid. The dry foam machine has a pressure tank. In this tank you will pour a solution of water and shampoo.

The solution is converted into foam by compressor. Using a revolving cylindrical brush, foam is dispensed all over the carpet. The brush will comb the foam through the piles of the carpet so that every fiber of the carpet is cleaned.

To get the best result, the bubbles being produced must be of uniformed size so the foam can finish the cleaning process before it is dispersed. Once the carpet has dried, it is methodically vacuumed to remove the dried crystals of dirt.

The dry foam procedure:

1. To begin with, vacuum the carpet and remove all the stains.
2. Prepare the dry foam solution as indicated by the manufacturer.
3. Shampoo the carpet; once it has dried, vacuum the carpet.
4. Groom the pile to speed the drying process.
5. Use a furniture leg pad to eliminate furniture stains or rust.

Advantages - The process of dry foam cleaning covers a lot of area in a short amount of time. You cannot over saturate the carpet simply because the moisture content is very low.

Disadvantages - The dry foam procedure can remove average levels of soil. However, there is a possibility of excessive residue and soil build up if the machine has inadequate extraction capabilities.

Dry foam is the perfect procedure if you have older carpet. You can rent a machine if you do not think you will use it enough to buy it.

Protect your carpet against paint drips, snow, mud, dirt, stains, and heavy traffic conditions. Read about plastic carpet protections as well as temporary carpet protections.

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No one likes to clean stains out of a carpet. Just the thought of it fills us with tension. What did they spill? Will we be able to get it all out? Is it in an obvious spot in the room? Relax. It’s already done. But start cleaning immediately. Many stains can be prevented if you act quickly.

There are many web sites offering carpet cleaning advice. One is at HowToCleanAnything.com. Click on Stains and then scroll down to Tip Categories and choose Carpet. Another is www.carpetone.com. Click on Carpet and look in the middle of the page for the link to Carpet Cleaning 101. Follow the general suggestions at www.carpet-rug.org. They also have an extensive pull-down menu of types of stains with instructions on how to clean each one.

We’ve all spilled things. It happens. The key is to quickly blot up whatever you can with white paper towels or cloth. Don’t rub. That may stretch the carpet and make it obvious that it’s been cleaned there. Choose the right cleaner for the stain. There are lists on the web sites listed here. Follow the instructions based on what has been spilled. If you aren’t sure what it is, choose a general stain remover, if need be. Be sure to spot test it on the rug to avoid permanent damage caused by using the wrong cleaner.

People have successfully cleaned coffee, catsup and even wax out of their carpets. So can you! No carpet is stain-proof and you may not be able to clean every spot perfectly, but if you get good information and treat each spot appropriately, you stand a good chance of getting most of it out so that no one will notice the spill. Be sure to consult a professional if your best efforts fail. Again, relax, but act quickly and you should be able to remove most of most stains from your carpet.

About the author -
Olinda Mettarod is a full time mom. She has made an art of homemaking. She also home schools her children so she can spend more time with them. You can read more articles about carpet cleaning at http://carpetcleaning.shehadyrugs.comCarpet Cleaning

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